Russell’s Real Lives
Reconnecting The Disconnect - Deanne’s Story
Meet Deanne, a remarkable young lady. Her journey has literally and metaphorically been a long one – she has come so far in her quest to discover the root-cause of the way she felt, how this played out negatively for her over a long period of time and the huge impact it was having on her life. Anxiety.
Deanne is 18, she was born and raised by her loving family right here in UAE. She is intelligent, creative and active through dance and sports. Deanne is a diligent student who is studying International Business. In short, a credit to herself and her family.
So, what was the issue? Where did it begin and how did Russell help? Deanne explains in her own words.
“I didn’t know what anxiety was. I had no reason to. I just know that from a fairly young age I began to feel different. I wasn’t equipped then to understand why I was feeling different, so I didn’t dwell on it too much”
Can you describe what ‘feeling different’ meant to you?
“Yes, the best way I can describe it is that I was becoming increasingly disconnected, well detached really from myself and the world around me. It felt as though I was looking at myself and not being myself – if that make sense! Detachment is what I’d call it, the feeling was strong but manageable at first. I then began showing signs of alopecia which further added to my worries, that’s not very nice thing for a young girl to go through. But then something happened that accelerated the negativity and really made me upset and afraid”
Can you elaborate on this Deanne?
“We went to Canada and I experienced the most terrifying thing ever, a full-blown panic attack for the first time. It was truly awful I thought I was dying or going mad or both! My fear afterwards was off the scale, it was the worst and my sense of detachment flew off the scale. Obviously, my family were very concerned about me and sent me to see various professional people who said they would help me. They didn’t! I felt they did not understand me or comprehend what I was experiencing. Whenever I visited them, I was left feeling belittled and even more confused about what was happening to me than before.
I then decided that I did want to see anyone else, I felt these people where telling and not listening, they would say ‘don’t be stressed, it’s nothing’. But it’s not nothing – it’s everything to me! They undermined me – about what my problem was, not being understood was frustrating and upsetting.”
When did things begin to change, what was the reason and why did you seek help from Russell?
“It all came to a head when I failed an important accounting exam in Canada. I had studied hard; I’d even done a quiz of the exam before sitting it and got 100%! But then I was told prior to sitting the exam for real that this particular exam is extremely hard, and that I probably would not perform well in it. So, the anxiety started to kick-in, and I was really worried about the results to the point I could not study properly. So, the upshot is I failed it badly.
I couldn’t function, it was worried it will interrupt my life, it will not let me proceed with my career choices or my life choices, So I opened up to my mum and they told me to come back home. Which I did.
My mum told me about Russell and said she’d heard about some of the results he’d achieved with others. Then my dad read about Russell in Friday Magazine it was an article on flying anxiety, he said if it worked for that kind of anxiety then it could work on my form of anxiety. At first, I didn’t want to go to see him because I was in Abu Dhabi and he was in Dubai and it was a bit inconvenient – in reality I thought it wouldn’t work like the others I’d tried.”
So how did it work out when you finally met Russell?
“Well, what can I say! When I met Russell for the first time, we clicked instantly. He just ‘understood me’. He was so calm and straight away he was saying things to me; incredible things that you can’t read in the textbooks! He takes his time and answered all my questions – he’s never judgemental and guides me to better understand myself and my feelings. It was brilliant when he described exactly the way I felt, the detachment part I mean, he used a specific kind of language to describe it.
The way he approaches things and explains them is great. I understood then that I was in the right place. He took his time with me and he knows what feeling anxious, hated and directionless meant to me, he knew what a sense of worthlessness was like – nobody had ever understood this before.”
After the sessions you had with Russell in Dubai, what has changed for you?
“For a start, I was instantly less worried about my exam results! Which actually makes me perform better I found. My self-confidence was back. Mum and dad said I was returning to my old-self, the former Deanne was back – I was confident enough to strike up random conversations with people. Mum and dad noticed I was more accepting of minor frustrations, less troubled by the ups and downs of life, I guess.
I also now participate in events that previously would have made me anxious – I don’t avoid them anymore as I used to. Before I met Russell, if I had a social event and had an anxiety attack, I’d hate everyone, I’d hate myself, I’d hate the place! I’d never want to go back, and I’d want to avoid any situation like that again. But now I attend social events at the university – I put myself forward and I have a really good time, anxiety does not take over it, it does not take over me – I am in charge now!”
What’s the lasting effect of working with Russell and what have you taken away from it?
“Well, the alopecia is going away at last, which is great! The hypnosis part was also really good, it helped a lot, I felt very relaxed, the analogies Russell uses were very easy to grasp. He also taught me self-hypnosis techniques, and the more I did it the better I got at it. He gave me the tools, which were suitable just for me and he showed me how to focus to get the best from them. His methods are unique, he creates scenarios and exercises which allow you to think, comprehend and understand. He’s like a teacher you don’t realise is teaching you – but then you appreciate you’ve learned more than you could possibly imagine from him!
Finally, recently I sat the same subject exam that I failed previously in Canada. This time I was able to perform very well indeed and achieved a virtually flawless pass!
So, all I can say is, thank you Russell, thank you.”
Russell helped Deanne and he can help your youngster too. Please make contact to discover how.
Russell is an expert in anxiety, confidence, concentration, social skills, perfectionism, laziness, gadget addiction, study focus, procrastination, time management, lifestyle and weight.
